Notes of the Senior Section Committee Meeting 23 March 2023

 

Notes of the Senior Section Committee Meeting

23 March 2023

Attendance:

Algy Grimes (AG), Jonathan Lean (JL), Barry Donovan (BD), Richard Westergreen – Thorne (RWT), Tony Lloyd (TL) Andy Shilton (AS)

Minutes previous and matters arising

The minutes previous were approved.

TL provided a brief outline of the Prostate Day arrangements and senior section involvement.

Captain (JL)

I tabled ‘discussion notes’ regarding the participation of ladies in Seniors’ events at the Golf Committee meeting on 7th February. These notes have already been circulated to this committee.

The outcome of the discussion at the Golf Committee Meeting was that there was a general consensus that it was good to start having this sort of discussion around the table.  We are moving in the direction of equal opportunities for both (or should I say all) genders! There was a suggestion that although there is a Senior Ladies squad, they only have a very few matches, and they are keen to play in more if possible. It was suggested that in the future we could designate some of our matches as ‘mixed matches ‘depending on the responses we get from the clubs we play against regarding the possibility of ladies being included in our squads.

My suggestion for the time being is for Richard WT to contact all the clubs (or you if that is more appropriate) and advise them that there is a possibility of ladies being in our squad and see what the reactions are.  If any club comes back and rejects this then we can just make sure that we do not include any ladies in that match.  If any of them are happy then we can possibly select ladies for these matches if any of them put their names down. From next year onwards the suggestion is that we can designate 4 of our 13 matches ad ‘mixed’ matches.

There has been a reaction from some of the senior men who are refusing to play alongside ladies in competitions. We need to have a consensus on how to handle this situation. (see agenda item below)

Plans are well advanced for the Charity week and also the Club’s 75th anniversary celebrations week in June. More details to follow when all arrangements are finalised.

JL also updated the committee on the progress of the arrangements for the club's 75^th anniversary events having recently attended a meeting of the planning committee.

Vice Captain (RWT)

RWT updated the committee on his engagement with fellow members who are currently not playing.

Immediate Past Captain (AG)

 

Nothing to report.

Treasurer's Report (BD)

BD outlined what he has done since the last meeting. This included familiarising himself with the accounts and the transactions involved in the competitions and matches. He has also been looking at the cash flow during the year and estimating what the end of year balance will be based upon assumptions regarding income and expenditure in competitions and matches.

Of particular importance to our finances this year are the Member and Guest Day, Senior Captains Day, Christmas Fayre and Christmas Dinner where subsidies are traditionally given towards the cost of the food and, in the case of the Dinner, the cost of the meal for invited guests such as the staff.

The increased cost of food has increased our costs this year for matches and the numbers entering competitions look likely to be larger than in previous years but it is still early days for us to be able to have a clear estimate of income from competition fees. BD outlined that the finances look tight this year and he will circulate some documents to the committee when he has done further work on them and this can be discussed in more detail at the next meeting.

It was agreed that we would need to increase the cost of playing in the three events that are currently subsidised due to the rising cost of food and potential impact upon our finances.

All three are a shotgun start with a limited field and so we cannot increase numbers taking part in order to for us to increase income.

It was agreed that Senior Captains Day entry fee should rise to £10, Xmas Fayre rise to £10 and the member and Guest Day to £35 per team.

Action point:

Subsidies and prices for these events to be an agenda item at the next meeting and, in the meantime, RWT to flag up the anticipated entry costs in the Newsletter.

Hon. Secretary (RWT)

Since we last met the membership numbers have continued to increase at a rate of around one a week. It is currently 254 with a further couple of ex-players who also receive the newsletter. There are 8 Ladies as members and I think one or two more who are engaged but through their husbands/partners email account.

When anyone asks to join us, I have continued previous practice to send them a welcome email and an offer to follow up with a chat and to arrange a game if they would like to do this. This year I am now able to add for people who are not known to us contact with one of the three members who have offered to help with the new member liaison role. They have had 9 people to contact in total so far and it seems to have proved very useful A couple of those they have spoken to have become engaged with us and others are interested but still working, etc. I have arranged with the three taking on this role to take stock of where we are in a couple of months.

I have removed several names from the mailing list where I know people have left the club but will go through the club membership list more systematically now the membership is known for the year.

There has been a lot of interest in the additional match with Brocket Hall and it has opened up the possibility of further afternoon matches and this is on the agenda as part of our review of the calendar for 2024. There are a number of other points to consider regarding the calendar for 2024 and I need to make good progress on it shortly so that we are in synch with other clubs deliberations.

I have recently sent an email with our contact details to the other clubs we play and referred to our gender-neutral status as we agreed at our last meeting. I can update you on the responses during the gender-neutral agenda item.

I was pleased to see the level of response from members when we needed to get extra players for the 4BBB and now that we have started our season of matches and competitions, I hope to see good numbers looking at the blog to keep up to date with what is going on.

Other matters are considered elsewhere on the agenda.

Competition Secretary (TL)

The Green Tilley and Foursomes knockouts opened on the day of the AGM and caused immediate interest, with two ladies signing up for the foursomes for the first time. This led to a little confusion as we considered how to run the knockouts from red and yellow tees. Eventually, after seeking advice, we arrived at what we hope will be a workable solution. i.e the same rules as the Fletcher Cup and President’s Cup.

Fifty-two signed up for the Foursomes and 82 for the Green Tilley. The draw for both was conducted on March 7 along with the draw for the 4BBB.

The mixed greensomes with the ladies was due to take place on March 9 but had to be cancelled when the course was closed due to snow. Forty ladies and 40 seniors had entered but their fees were reimbursed. Fortunately, as the decision was beyond our control, we did not have to pay for the cake. It is hoped we can rearrange the match for later in the year, although the crowded calendar may make this difficult.

The 4BBB Trophy on March 14 filled up very quickly, soon reaching the maximum 92 including, again for the first time, two ladies. There were a handful of withdrawals, but the reserve list kept the start sheet full. There were two further withdrawals on the eve of the competition and one on the morning of the competition. Following an appeal by RWT we just got over the line. Thanks to those who stepped forward at the last minute. The competition itself was played in fine weather and was won by Chris Saunders and David Wrench.

The Rex Bullock Trophy, to be played on April 11, was so popular that the initial cap of 102 had to be increased to 120 by adding earlier and later tee times. At the last count 111 players had signed up, justifying our decision to maximise the number of available tee times by making it a one tee start. If, as we hope, interest in competitions remains high, we will continue with one-tee starts where appropriate and monitor the situation.

The Brocket Hall matches opened for entries on March 5 and 31 players quickly signed up.

The Swap Day with St Ives. The entry list of 40 is full, with two on the reserve list.

Jock Allan Prostate Cancer Charity Day While not a seniors event, I have been helping Bill Walker, Algy Grimes and David Barlow with IG sign-up. At the last count, there were 70 entries, with the hope that a last-minute publicity drive would attract a few more.

Action Point

It looks unlikely that we can find a mutually agreeable date to rearrange the Greensomes and TL will propose to the Ladies section that it be cancelled for 2023.

Match Secretaries Report (AS)

Matches are now underway with our first game against Beds & County played on Tuesday 21^st ending with a positive 5-3 result and a good joke.  Next match Saffron Walden at home next Tuesday (28^th).

 We have had a very strong sign up of 60 players and the availability is such that all matches are oversubscribed with the lowest at 22 players available for 20 places.  Due to the level of sign up the availability/selection ratio is between 50 and 60% which is less than historically the case.  This has also made the selection process quite difficult and required many iterations.   I decided to do the selection for the whole season as most people had put availability in for the entire season.  This made it easier to ensure fairness.  But I have stated that only batch 1 is confirmed and batches 2 and 3 are provisional.

 There were several players that didn’t put in for equal availability of home and away and some rather heavily skewed to away games.  All have been written to and responded appropriately.

 As usual no sooner was the selection made than people started dropping out.  There has been something like 13 withdrawals notified within a week of publishing.  So already the data is starting to look skewed.  This is a reality. 

 We have settled on a price of £24 to try to keep the costs reasonable.  By way of comparison Beds & County players were charged £17 on Tuesday up from £16.50 last year.  The menu is I think satisfactory with how and cold options available.

 The work with Alban Macdonald to develop a better way of managing teams is now live and I used it in earnest for the selection.  This was a bit painful as we worked our way through the issues.  It is certainly now for a PC user a better tool for looking at what you have been selected for.  However, it still doesn’t work well on a mobile (the temporary filters are not supported on mobile), so we have left the original reporting tool live for mobile users.  Use of this version has dropped down considerably and the initial problem of multiple users has settled as traffic has reduced.  From the Match Secretary perspective, it is now working fine but you do need to be comfortable in the tech space to manage it.   

 On a side note, sales of new 75^th anniversary Senior Jumpers seems to have been strong as many were on display on Tuesday.

 AS and Alban MacDonald (AM) were thanked for their considerable efforts with the new selection matrix.

 Action Point:

 JL to present AM with a gift in recognition of his efforts on behalf of the seniors.

Annual Dinner and Presentation of Trophies 2023

 Dave Wood (DW) attended for this item.

 The Annual Dinner in December is where we have traditionally presented our trophies to competition winners. The majority of members who attend are competition winners and last year we did not fill all 80 spaces available with winners, invited club staff and other senior members. Discussion took place about the reasons for this. For example, does the presentation element discourage other seniors from attending or is there only a limited interest in such an event? 

Action Point

 DW and TL to produce a questionnaire for all members to gauge views on the options open to us in 2023:

-          Keep the event as it is and encourage more members to attend

-          Have just a presentation event and discontinue the dinner

-          Have a separate dinner and presentation event and if this was the preferred option consider some form of entertainment at the dinner

Once ready to be sent to members to be distributed via the newsletter.

 It was agreed that trophy winners can keep their trophy when they receive it until Oct/Nov when DW will ask for it back for engraving. It will then be formally presented at the Dinner/Presentation Evening when winners can then take home again until it is required for the next year’s competition.

Gender neutral status

Following discussion it was agreed that it is early days for ladies being involved in seniors competitions and that the committee should monitor entries from ladies and communications from individual seniors. Currently a small number of ladies have entered our competitions that have been open and none have put themselves forward to play in matches.

When RWT circulated the fact that we are a gender-neutral section to the clubs we play in matches one raised an objection and the others were either positive or did not specifically respond.

To be returned to at the next meeting.

Calendar 2024 

RWT is currently working on the 2024 calendar.

RWT had circulated in advance of the meeting a number of options for the 2024 calendar and some have  already been agreed regarding possible dates and days for competitions with, for example, the Ladies section and the Junior section.

It was agreed that we should look to play Brocket Hall in 2024 as an afternoon match again and look to see if we could add one or two more Monday afternoon fixtures along similar lines with new clubs. Given the increase in membership this would give more members the option of playing matches.

Newmarket have been unable to agree to the proposed Swap day with them in 2024 and so we need to find another club to swap with.

Action Points:

JL to discuss additional afternoon fixtures with The Club Manager with a view to raise as an agenda item at the next club Golf Committee.

RWT to circulate other clubs with the potential offer of a Swap Day and/or an afternoon fixture and a number of clubs were discussed as possibilities to approach.

Staggered Start

RWT circulated a draft paper regarding a staggered start arrangement for home matches. A number of amendments were suggested and RWT will circulate a second draft to the committee.

Action Point

At the appropriate time JL will table the proposal at a club Golf Committee meeting.

AOB

-          Committee 2024

 

Action Point:

It was agreed that RWT will put a note in the Newsletter inviting members to come forward if they are interested in becoming involved in helping with the organisation of seniors events. There is a need to make changes within the committee for 2024, for example, RWT will stand down as Hon Sec when he becomes Captain. There are also plenty of other roles outside of the committee where members can be involved and help.

 

-          Past Senior Captains Lunch

 Action Point:

JL to follow up and report back at the next meeting

Date and time of next meeting  

Thursday 13^th April

Thursday 4^th May

Thursday 20^th July

Tuesday 29^th August

Thursday 5^th October

Tuesday 7^th November

Tuesday 16^th January 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seniors at home to Saffron Walden, March 28, 2023

 Organiser Michael Newstead reports

The day dawned dim and dismal and just got worse as the morning wore on. Rain, rain and more rain, just the sort of weather we golfers love going out to play in, I think not!  The mood in the clubhouse before the game was only lifted by the fact most of the Saffron Walden team had never played on Carthagena so there was an air of excitement.

Even prior to starting there were two notable events: no names, no pack-drill you understand but one of our number had forgotten he was playing and had to make a hurried journey to the club. The other had taken 08:30 as the time we were meeting for introductions, not the time of the first teeing off.  

 Now as to the result;  as is custom, the first out and back was your Captain and Organiser and we had played our opposite numbers.   Our game was swinging each way and we were one up at the turn.   From that point we had a run where we won several holes.  In fact, after the 15^th the result of the match was not in doubt as we were 5/3 up.   We played the 16^th, but clearly our opponents were more interested at that point in returning to the clubhouse and getting out of the rain as the game was lost to them.

 Seated comfortably in the clubhouse, out of the rain and enjoying a post-match drink, we waited in anticipation as each match ended and the results brought to us for recording.   Later, all smartly dressed with one exception who clearly didn’t get the message, yes, you know who you are! we enjoyed a delicious meal served with great efficiency by the catering team, after which your Captain gave the customary brief words and joke. Then the Saffron Walden Organiser had the unenviable task of announcing that the result was 7 games to 1 in favour of John O’Gaunt, making it two out of two for our Captain!

 The day finished with pointed references to the return (revenge!) match at Saffron Walden on 17^th May!

 

Home match v Brocket Hall, March 27, 2023

Chris Roy and Trevor Darrington with their opponents on the first tee

Organiser Richard Westergreen-Thorne reports

It was a day of firsts as we played Brocket Hall for the very first time. It was also the first home match of the year for our Captain, Jonathan Lean, and the first time we had played at JOG with an afternoon start.

Responding to an offer from Brocket Hall earlier in the year we were able to arrange to play an additional fixture to add to our calendar for 2023 which proved a very popular decision. To make it work we agreed to play 12 a side on a Monday afternoon and so the two teams assembled in the clubhouse ready to do battle on the course. With the weather being variable at best over recent days we were blessed with good weather and JOG looked fantastic in the sunshine.

As for the match there were some close games and some not so close. For example, Nigel Underwood and Graham Lewis won comfortably and Nick Seeley and I ..... well, let's just say that our opponents played very well. Jonathan Lean and Peter Wade were able to win a tight match but overall we lost 4 - 2.

In the clubhouse afterwards for sandwiches and chips (another first) all agreed it was a good day's golf with good company. Jonathan supplied his usual joke and all left looking forward to the return fixture and the hope that we can make this into a regular part of our calendar. 

Michael Newstead’s charity challenge, March 26 2023

 

Michael Newstead celebrates after abseiling down the 200ft Lister Hospital tower in aid of the East and North Herts Hospitals’ Charity. Afterwards Michael thanked all the John O’Gaunt seniors whose sponsorship helped him raise £965. It’s not too late to donate by following the link below.

 www.justgiving.com/Michael-Is-Abseiling

Seniors away to Beds and County, March 21, 2023

 Organiser Michael Newstead reports

An overheard conversation at JOG on Sunday 19^th March sent me scurrying to the Beds and County website and to my horror found it was true. They had a trolley ban in place, it was carry only!   With the match just two days away visions of 16 old and weary men (32 if you count B&C players) struggling up the final hole, weighed down by their bag of clubs, knees aching, gasping for breath, back-breaking under the strain, not a pretty sight I think  you will agree!   Something had to be done to avert this disaster.    A flurry of emails with the B&C organiser, his commitment to take up the matter the following day, Monday 20^th.   Conversation with the JOGS match secretary produced three scenarios – 1) everyone carries, 2) send a reduced team if not everyone can carry, 3) cancel.

 Next step, alert the team of impending disaster. Result, my inbox filled with messages from thirteen of our finest with cries of, “I can carry if I have to, but my poor back/knees/legs/ankles/teeth (yes,  I made the last one up).”   Let’s just say the sigh of relief could be heard all over Potton and beyond when I learned that the B&C Organiser had obtained special dispensation for us to use our trolleys!

 On the appointed day we arrived at Beds & County expecting to be trudging through seas of mud, but actually nothing of the sort.    Certainly the course was a little wet in places and the air-brushes were well-used at the end of the game, but the greens were fast, true and just as difficult to read as ever; the grass was verdant and for the most, proper tees were in play, although the ears of my partner, your Captain (stand up and salute!!) and myself were oft assailed by our playing partners with comments of, “We haven’t been playing off this tee, we have been using mats/the ladies tee for the past few months.”

 How bravely JOG’s valiant sixteen took to the field of battle; unperturbed by the knowledge they were fighting a 58 shot advantage!   As the scores started to roll in the pessimism turned to joy and we scented victory, confirmed when our Captain announced after dinner that in fact John O’Gaunt had overcome the odds and were the winners 5 and 3.

 All that remained was to congratulate your Captain and Derek Cormack for winning nearest the pin on the par 3 12^th, each being awarded the traditional bottle of wine and to raise a cheer to the catering staff for a superb meal and service.

 

4BBB Trophy March 14, 2023

Seniors Captain Jonathan Lean presents the trophy to winners Chris Saunders and Dave Wrench 

Oh no, not again! That might have been the reaction of entrants viewing the weather early on Tuesday so soon after the cancellation of the ladies and seniors mixed greensomes the week before.

Then, hoorah, the clouds parted, the sun made a rare appearance and 92 seniors thanked their lucky stars for a great day of golf.

The scoring was good too. First prize went to Chris Saunders and Dave Wrench with an impressive 47 points. In second place, on countback, were Derek Weller and Andy Brown, also on 47 points. And in third place, on 46 points, were Ian Maddison and Tony Lloyd. Rumours that Tony, as the new Competitions Secretary, had fiddled the figures, were hotly denied by his lawyers.

Also on 46 points, but narrowly missing out on a podium place, were Tony Goodson and Keith Howlett.

Raffle prizes were won by Chris Sullivan, Andrew Wellings, Algy Grimes and Tony Goodson.

Only the day before, the start sheet was in a state of flux as two players, for entirely valid reasons, had to withdraw. An emergency appeal for extra players by Hon Sec Richard Westergreen-Thorne resulted in an instant response which fixed the problem. Then, as late as 8am on the day of the competition came another withdrawal. Keith Fuller, just about to get in the shower, came to the rescue and arrived on cue for a 10.10am start. Thanks to all who answered the call to ensure the day went without a hitch.

Second place on countback: Derek Weller and Andy Brown

Third place: Tony Lloyd and Ian Maddison

Minutes of 2022 AGM, February 7, 2023

Minutes of 2022 AGM

Tuesday 7th February 2023

Welcome by the Captain

Captain Algy Grimes welcomed members to the meeting.

A lot has happened in the twelve months since I stood here to take over the role of Captain from my predecessor Bill Walker. I mentioned my Charity choice as The UK Sepsis Trust because about 4 and a half years ago I suffered from it. If it wasn’t for my GP recognising the symptoms, I may not be standing here now. Sepsis claims about 45,000 deaths a year, more than Breast, Bowel and Prostate cancer put together. 

Dave Carson from the Sepsis Trust attended for this item and said a few words about how The UK Sepsis Trust operates and will be using our funds. This amounted to a total of nearly £6,600 made up of £2,132 from the 54 hole challenge plus gift aid and a further £4,060.00 from other donations and events. Algy then presented the cheque to Dave Carson.

Attendees:

Algy Grimes, Jonathan Lean, Bill Walker, Andy Shilton, Barry Donovan, Tony Lloyd, Richard Westergreen – Thorne, Ray Smart, Derek Young, Richard Knell, Fred Williams, John Whitbread, Paul Dobson, Paul Jones, Tony Mclean, David Trotter, Hazel House, Jan Murphy, Dave Henderson, Rafe Bateson, Dave Gauge, Phil Armstrong, Clive Bassindale, Sam Standen, Graham Lewis, Chris Roy, Steve Collins, Keith Perry, Pete Salmon, Derek Weller, Richard Cooper, Chris Hoad, Keith Fuller, Terry Sweeney, Trevor Darrington, Jim Kerr, Alan Kirkham, Ken Brewer, Ian Riches, Anthony Bell, David Streatfield, Keith Howlett, Bob Isaacson, Robert Bage, John Sandland, Stuart Wilcox, Ian Maddison, Peter Wade, Michael Newstead, Tony Goodson, Nigel Underwood, David Crosby, Nick Schumann, Jed Isbell, Andrew Bowen, 

Apologies for Absence:

Simon Bettany, Gerry Degaute, Chris Walker, Mike Tipper, peter Imray, Daryl Hayler, Joe Carroll, Malcolm Roberts, Richard Coventry, Andy Brown, Bob Anderson.

Minutes of the 2021 AGM (taken as read)

Matters Arising

There were no matters arising not covered in the agenda.

Captain’s Report 

That was one of the fastest years that I can remember, it doesn’t seem five minutes ago that I was accepting my sweater from Bill to start my captaincy. Thank you again Bill for giving me the opportunity. I have enjoyed myself the whole time. Playing in 24 of the Interclub matches, missing one through injury and the last one because of a golf trip away, I have met some interesting people. One known as God (well that’s what Nick Schumann called him) and another that is Santa, well for one month a year. We won 9 drew 4 and lost 13 matches in all. Almost in all cases we gave away more shots than we received, in some matches the opponents were taking shots off me!!

I suggest the organisers try to arrange our teams next year to gain the best advantage we can with the shots by canny team arrangements. Having played in 20 competitions during the year, my handicap actually went down by 1.1 so in the right direction, maybe I can continue in that direction this year being able to relax a bit more.

Something I am disappointed about is that we are no nearer having a two tee start for our matches, I raised it separately on a few occasions with various club officers but for whatever their reasons, they are adamant that we only have the one tee start. Hopefully Jonathan and the new committee will continue to press for a change.

I must say that my job as Captain has been made very easy by the people on this table next to me, your committee. The roles that they fulfil generally mean all I have had to do is turn up, play and present the trophies at the end. The Hon Sec, Richard, what a great help he has been in keeping me on my toes with gentle reminders to do this or that when I have been slow in responding, I am sure you all enjoy reading his weekly newsletters, I feel they are a good way to keep the members of the Section involved through the year.

I am sure you will all agree that the Competitions Secretary Jonathan, soon to be Captain, runs them all so smoothly, dealing with a lot of last minute changes without too many comments! 

I mentioned that I played in 24 Interclub matches, all have been supervised by Andy in an outstanding way, plus of course the individual organisers involved. As I said we just need to balance the shots allowance a bit and I am sure we will improve the results.

The finances have been a task that Richard Coventry has been handling for the last year, making sure we never pay out too much and was very helpful in collating my charity donations separately. 

Tony Lloyd has been doing a fantastic job in looking after the blog, his professional touch has made a vast improvement to what we had before. (I can say that because he took over from me).

Also, thanks to Dave Wood for organising the trophies and Annual Dinner so well.

Thank you to all the committee.

On a final note, how many of you have looked at your 2022 Year in Review on IG? Not only does it tell you how your golf has been over the year but also how many purchases on your club card you have made. In my case 293, it shows the most common purchase being 98 pints of Carlsberg. (So no excuse for not knowing what I drink in future!!)

Being the first year of the honorarium I followed advice from various Captains, past and present, about how to use it. Primarily it has been used to pay for guests, plus members items on a few occasions, including the halfway house on the Senior’s Captain’s Day and the hole in one costs incurred by members in Senior events at JOG.

I wish Jonathan and the rest of the committee a very good year for 2023 and trust you will all behave yourselves so that my role in dispute resolution is kept to a minimum!!

Thanks for your support in 2022.

Honorary Secretary’s Report 

It has been a good year for the seniors and I will leave my colleagues to go through the key points regarding matches and competitions.

As this is the first year we have replaced the membership fee with an honorarium from the club it is interesting to note the changes in the numbers involved with the seniors.

At the end of 2021 we had around 190 signed up members when we switched to our current post subscription model of recording the numbers who receive the newsletter each week. This has grown from 190 to over 240 during the past year reflecting an increasing interest in the activities and opportunities within the seniors.

The new people come from a range of backgrounds and golfing expertise:

• New to the club
• Reaching the magic age of 60
• Existing club members over 60 who have decided they would like to become involved

However, whilst participation has increased in our events it has not been as dramatic an increase as the bold figures would suggest. This is because, in the past, each year a number of people would decide not to renew their subscription, some because they left the club but also a significant number who remained as club members but decided not to enter competitions any more and so decided not to pay the subscription. Most of this category of member have decided to keep receiving the Newsletter even if they do not enter events any more to keep in touch with what is going on. This is a good thing as it supports the engagement of club members into what is going on.

2022 also saw the introduction of our first Swap Day which was a big success despite the weather on the day and adds an extra dimension to what we can offer members. Northampton, our swap partners, also enjoyed the day to the extent that we are playing them in a match this year. St Ives is our destination for 2023 and we already have made provisional arrangements with another club for 2024. 

We also introduced organising games with committee members for new members and this was well received by those who took up the opportunity. Whilst some new members already have groups to play with and friends at the club some others know very few people or are unsure of what to do and so the opportunity is very helpful for them. I am pleased to note that the New Member Induction roles we are instigating for 2023 will help further in getting new members involved in what we do.

I would like to thank the Roll Up organisers for their work and I am pleased to see very healthy numbers coming along each Tuesday and Thursday. I would also like to thank Tony Lloyd for editing the blog as it provides an excellent companion to the Newsletter in keeping members engaged and had record numbers of hits this past year.

Competition Secretary’s Report

154 people had taken part in at least one of the Golfer of the Year (GOTY) competitions in 2022 and over 160 members had taken part in at least one of our activities in total.

The competitions were all well supported, and it was pleasing to note that nearly all the competitions had different winners with almost 30 people winning one of our events during the year. It is also interesting to note that our GOTY, Barry Donovan, achieved this feat through consistent points scoring in the events. 

Jonathan reminded members of the correct procedures to withdraw from competitions and ask to change tee time. It is important to put in writing any requests rather than leave a phone message or mention in passing in the clubhouse.

Jonathan also thanked Tony Lloyd for his help and support during the year and wished Tony well on taking  over the role for 2023.

Match Secretary’s report

My first year as Seniors Match Secretary so thank you to all the Match Organisers that stood up and of course to all the players who played. 

 

Our overall season, we played 26 matches and successfully fielded full teams in all games.  Though we did have a couple of close shaves.

 

On the results front not quite so positive.  We had 9 wins, 4 draws but 13 losses.  

 

It was all looking ok right up until the Autumn fixtures; we had been winning as many as we lost.  Unfortunately, we ended the season with what could only be described as relegation form, in our final set of 6 matches we only won 1, drew 1, so you can work out that we lost 4.  This includes finishing with the ignominy of a whitewash away at Leighton Buzzard. 

 

We had 59 players of the 73 registered on the system that played in matches.  Everyone that wanted to play got games.  Though some of the members with lower availability only played in 50% of the games they put themselves in for.  Overall, I’d like to think I got the balance of availability and fairness about right.  I have to say that is the biggest headache.

 

As we all know Senior Matches aren’t really about the winning or losing, it’s much more about the opportunity to play other courses, the camaraderie that is engendered when we go out as team, and the fun that we have while doing so. 

 

So, thank you once again to all the Match Organisers for their efforts, and of course the Players for playing last year and of course finally a big thank you to our Captain Algy who led from the front on the course and more significantly for all of the after dinner jokes that went down so well.

Honorary Treasurer’s Report and Adoption of Accounts

As Richard Coventry was unable to attend the AGM the accounts were presented by Bill Walker in his absence. Copies of the accounts were circulated to those present at the meeting and Bill outlined the key areas for members to note.

it is my privilege to present the John O Gaunt Senior Section Audited Accounts for the year end 31 st December 2022. This my first and only year as Treasurer as I will be standing down.

At the end of the last Financial Year to 31 st December 2022 our end of year balance was £2,183, which is up on the £2,134 of the previous year (please note that the year 2021 balance does not include clothing to give a like for like view). I have been able to subsidise events to the tune of £2,746 This includes Christmas Fayre £521, Member and Guest £310, Annual Dinner £585, Seniors Captain’s Day £590 and the Captain’s Charity £740.

This leaves us with no debt and a healthy final year balance of £2,183 in the Current Account, which provides us with a sensible amount to take into the new Financial year.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Trevor Darrington for carrying out the audit this year.  

I would also express my grateful thanks to Derek Young who ably ran the supply of Senior Section clothing and ties until clothing was moved back to Tom the Professional.

I wish my successor, Barry Donovan, well for the future.

Appointment of an Auditor

Trevor Darrington offered to continue as Auditor for 2023 and he was duly elected:

Proposer: Algy Grimes

Seconder: Bill Walker

Agreed unanimously 

Appointment of Officers for 2023 - all were agreed unanimously:

Position	Nominee	Proposer	Seconder
Captain	Jonathan Lean	Algy Grimes	M Newstead
Vice-Captain	Richard Westergreen - Thorne	Jonathan Lean	Algy Grimes
Honorary Secretary	Richard Westergreen - Thorne	Algy Grimes	Bill Walker
Honorary Treasurer	Barry Donovan	Richard Coventry	Andy Shilton
Match Secretary	Andy Shilton	Bill Walker	Barry Donovan
Competition Secretary	Tony Lloyd	Jonathan Lean	Algy Grimes

On leaving the committee Bill Walker thanked the committee and the membership for their support during his time as Vice-Captain, Captain and Immediate Past Captain over the past 4 years.

Address by the Captain

You will probably be relieved to hear that I believe that these addresses are kept as short as possible.

Firstly, I would like to say how honoured I am to be considered worthy of being your captain for this year. I will do my best during my tenure to facilitate the ability of all Senior members to play, and more importantly, to enjoy as much golf as they want to in 2023.

However, before I go any further, I would like to acknowledge and recognise the work of Algy as our captain for the past year. He is going to be a tough act to follow. Algy, it has been a great honour to be your Vice captain and thank you for inviting me into that position. The Senior members have had a ‘whip round’ and we would like to present you with this voucher as a token of our appreciation of your work over 2 years a vice captain and your year as captain.

You have done a fantastic job and it is much appreciated. I will be leaning heavily on you over the coming year and frequently picking your brain. I would also like to recognise at this time that we will be losing another valuable committee member. Bill Walker now holds the record for the longest serving seniors captain – sorry Fred. Bill served for 1 year as vice-captain, 2 years as captain and another year as Immediate Past Captain. His knowledge,

experience and general common sense have been invaluable – not to mention his sense of humour. 

Perhaps now is a good time to ask Bill to give a synopsis of the Prostate Project

Charity Golf day.

At this point Bill Walker outlined to the meeting the arrangements for the Jock Allen Prostate Project Golf Day on 3^rd April and hoped that many members of the senior section would participate.

The next issue I would like to address is my chosen charity. The seniors’ section has supported some excellent and worthy charities over the years, and it was a hard job choosing one for my year. I honestly cannot remember how I came across this particular charity as an option but once I had visited their website and read some of the case studies and commendations there was no turning back. Many of us will either have had a family member, friend or acquaintance who spent time in a hospice. It is depressing enough to think of adults who spend time there but a hospice for children is even more extraordinary. It is difficult to imagine what it must be like for the families, let alone the children  themselves.

Keech Hospice Care is the children’s hospice for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes and the adult hospice for Luton and South Bedfordshire. They provide specialist care for children and adults with life-limiting and terminal illnesses as well as vital support for their families and friends. The care they offer is not just provided at the hospice itself but also in hospitals, schools, care, and family homes – wherever support is needed the most.

Keech recognises the importance of giving support, not only to the patients themselves but also to the families and friends. For instance, siblings of patients can often struggle to accept the fact that their brother or sister is getting all the attention and can feel neglected. Keech provide support and activities to make them feel more included and valued in the whole process.

I had the privilege, I won’t call it a pleasure, of visiting the Keech facility just north of Luton. The whole atmosphere in the place is amazing. Full of bright, happy and smiling faces in a warm and welcoming surrounding. The facilities they have are amazing. The time I spend in the children’s section was challenging and uplifting at the same time. I would encourage you to spend a few minutes on their website to get a better understanding of all that they do. Read some of the case studies. I can’t do it without a lump in my throat (and more!).

During 21/22 Keech cared for 327 children with a life limiting illness and gave specialist support to 217 family members at the hospice and in the community as well. Keech not only look after their patients but also their staff. I was shown that they have a ‘Sanctuary Room’ which is a place where staff can go when they become a bit overwhelmed.

As a charity, Keech needs to raise over £6.3 million every year. That is £17,000 every day to be able to continue their work. So, I would request all of you to be as generous as possible towards this charity during the year. Keech also run a lottery and for just a few pounds per month you can continue to support their work. I got ‘nabbed’ outside a supermarket but you can sign up for it at www.keech.org.uk/lottery.

Looking ahead to the year, we have a full diary of events. There are the usual 13 competitions, 9 of which count towards the Golfer of the Year. We also have 2 matches with the Ladies, one match against the Juniors and the Jock Allen Prostate Project Charity day. It is club policy, and therefore our policy also, to encourage as many as possible to play in these competitions. They are intended to be fun, so we have a mixture of formats to suit all tastes. Don’t forget that the more you play, the more likely you will be eligible for the

Christmas Fayre.

Additionally, we play matches against 13 other clubs. It helps our Match Secretary if we have as large a pool of players as possible who want to play in these matches. These are definitely social occasions and it is a great way to play other local courses as well as showing off our excellent facilities here to other clubs’ players. A round of golf and a meal at £25 or less with no green fees at away matches – what’s not to enjoy!

Also, don’t forget the away day and the newly introduced Swap Day which this year is at St. Ives Golf Club. These are both chances to play at different clubs with your friends at John O’Gaunt. 

I would like to take this opportunity to remind members that the Senior Section is gender neutral. It is therefore possible that ladies will want to enter some of our competitions or play in matches.

Finally, I am keen to encourage as many of you as possible to become involved in the running of the section without necessarily becoming full committee members. We are always looking for new volunteers to run the occasional roll- up on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Andy Shilton is constantly on the look-out for volunteers to organise matches against other clubs. Other jobs include assisting to organise the Members and Guest Day, Swap Day, Prostate Project day, New Member liaison etc. etc. If you are willing and able to assist, your

offer will be gratefully received.

I would just like to highlight the New Member Liaison role. We have a reputation in the club for being friendly and welcoming and this new role aims to cement that reputation by welcoming new members into our section and ensuring that they are fully up to speed on all that we do and integrated into the system.

Address by the Honorary Secretary

I would like to thank all those present for electing me as the new Vice captain alongside my role as Hon. Sec. for 2023.

I would like to encourage you to take part in events and activities during the year and also encourage your friends and those you play with to get involved if they are eligible to join in.

Address by the Competition Secretary

I would like to highlight the first few competitions that are open for entry and remind you  that the knockouts open for entry today.. Details of all sign up arrangements are found on the club website it you click on the competition in question and details will also be circulated via the Newsletter.

Members should contact me if they have any questions or queries regarding competitions as the year progresses.

Address by the Match Secretary

I am very conscious that we have a fair few new Senior Members so firstly I’d like to encourage any who would like to play to sign up.  The Matches Special that Richard sent around on 24 January has all the details but if anyone needs help then please do give me a shout.

 

I do want to mention that for some reason the Gog Magog away match was set up but wasn’t showing.  So if you put your entries in before the 16^th Feb and wanted to be considered for Gogs do check that you have it selected.

 

It’s important to remember that these are social matches and while we like to win it’s not uber-competitive, it’s fun.  So don’t worry if you have a high handicap, you can play provided you have one. Don’t worry if you think you are not good enough, it’s unlikely you’ll be the worst player and it wouldn’t matter if you were.  So please do come and have a chat, we are an inclusive group.  The more the merrier.

 

I am still looking for two volunteer match organisers for the games at Beds & County and Millbrook.  I have existing Match Organisers who have kindly offered to take on two matches and if there are no volunteers after this week that is what we will do.   

 

One area that I am looking to improve this year is the way we can use technology to make it easier for:

 

• Players to enter,
• Me to run the selection process and track what is happening…
• Match Organisers to run their games. 

 

As part of this Alban Macdonald has been working on putting together a new piece of software that automates a lot of the process so hopefully it should take out some of the strain.  I’d like to thank Alban for volunteering to do this development.  I’ll be testing and trialling the new tools alongside the existing process this first selection process and once we are happy, I will be looking to see how it can be phased in.  At this stage I don’t know whether this can be done mid-season or whether we must leave it until next season having proved it can work this year.  So very much a watch this space.

 

One final piece of information for matches is the cost per game next year, and sadly with the impact on the cost of meals increasing the club costs it means that we are likely to be charging £24 per player per game.

 

So that’s all from me.  I look forwards to another exciting season of matches and playing some courses I haven’t played before. As always, any queries please don’t hesitate to get in touch.  And please remember that the first batch cut off is 24^th February.

 

Constitution

Following a brief outline of the reasons for seeking a change in the constitution Jonathan Lean read out the following statement:

Currently, our constitution defines the AGM Quorum as being ‘50% of the Seniors Section Committee and 25% of the membership’. As our membership has grown significantly since this was defined, I would like to make the following proposal.

For the AGM to be considered quorate, The Captain or Vice-Captain, 50% of

the Seniors Section Committee and 30 members must be present.

Proposed; Algy Grimes

Seconded: Richard Westergreen - Thorne

Agreed unanimously.

Other Agenda Items – none were received in advance from members.

Close of Meeting